We had a mixed bag last week at running back and wide receiver, but it’s a new week and time to bounce back.

Running Backs

Cash Game Option:

Cincinnati Bengals Gio Bernard ($11,500) – We have been very successful picking on the Atlanta Falcons defense and we’re not stopping now. The Falcons can not stop running backs from catching the ball as New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara caught 15 passes in Week 3, Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey caught 14 passes in Week 2 and Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles caught four passes in Week 1. Bernard has 10 catches through three games and should once again be the feature back with Joe Mixon likely out for the second consecutive week. Bernard is priced correctly for a starting running back, but I still believe there is plenty of upside with a high floor.

Tournament Option:

New England Patriots Sony Michel ($9,500) – It’s impossible to trust the Patriots backfield, but at least we finally have some clarity with Rex Burkhead heading to injured reserve. It appears to be Michel and James White as the main duo in the Patriots backfield. Michel is risky which is why he is a tournament play, but the price is right along with the opportunity to touch the ball 15 times as the Patriots are favored by seven points and have an implied team total of 27.25. I like the Patriots a lot this week in tournaments as we know they can explode offensively at any time.

Wide Receivers

Cash Game Option:

Pittsburgh Steelers JuJu Smith-Schuster (12,300) – The Steelers wide out is averaging 25.86 points per game on FantasyDraft yet is priced $300 more than Josh Gordon. We need to take advantage as Smith-Schuster has been very effective and now gets a top 10 matchup among wide receivers according to Pro Football Focus. It’s also an added bonus that the Steelers play Sunday night. The over/under is set at 51 with the Steelers implied to score 27.25 points at Heinz Field against their heated rival the Baltimore Ravens. Smith-Schuster is getting almost the same amount of targets as teammate Antonio Brown, but is over $4,000 cheaper. I think he will provide a nice floor at receiver for Week 4.

Tournament Option:

Chicago Bears Taylor Gabriel ($7,700) – The Bears are in a great spot this week as they face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense ranked 29th in defensive DVOA according to Football Outsiders. It’s hard to trust quarterback Mitchell Trubisky as he consistently misses wide open throws. The good news is the Bears are in position a lot to make plays and that should happen again against the Bucs and Vegas agrees as Chicago has an implied total of 24.75. Anthony Miller is out this week due to a shoulder injury which means Gabriel will see an increase in snaps. The Bucs also struggle against slot receivers where Gabriel should run a lot of his routes from along with teammate Allen Robinson. The price is not high enough for an increased role which is exactly what we are looking for in tournaments.